The Importance of Properly Functioning Downspouts
Most people hate cleaning their gutters and downspouts, so why even bother with it?
The guttering system is one of the most important systems on a home. A properly functioning gutter system is designed to combat water damage to your house. Gutters collect the rain from the roof and direct it away from your house. Downspouts play a very important role within the gutter system on your home. It is very important to make sure all downspouts are not only clog free, but also directing water far enough from your homes foundation.
This is an example of a pop up drainage emitter connected to an underground downspout drain. This helps extend downspouts drainage, to get water away from home
The downspouts should extend at least five feet from the home unless the ground has very good slope away from home’s foundation. The water needs to have a positive flow away from your house to protect the foundation and keep water infiltration out of your basement. Many times to get the water away from the home you may need an underground drain to get positive flow. See the link for more information on home construction and why water can seep into basements.
Did you know that remarkably, a typical 2,000 square foot roof produces 1,250 gallons of water with only one inch of rainfall?
Without gutters and downspouts working correctly by directing water away from the house, big problems can and will arise. To begin with, roof water running down the side of the house or splashing up from the ground causes damage to landscaping and the home’s exterior, resulting in wood rot, water stains, cracking mortar, and more frequent painting.
However, the most costly problem is water collection around the house’s foundation.
This is where poorly placed or non-functioning downspouts can cause the most damage. When the surrounding soil becomes saturated, the water begins to seep toward and into the home’s foundation. This results in wet basements and crawl spaces. The water can also apply great pressure to the foundation and eventually cause cracks to appear.
Water damage to the foundation causes high humidity, surface condensation, mold, mildew, and musty odors which are damaging to your health. Foundation damage by water can result in deterioration of floor joist, beams, and subflooring. Additionally, pools of water near the foundation will erode the soil. This weakens the load bearing capacity of the foundation wall and increases the chances of wall settlement and cracking. Regular cleaning is vital to prevent overflowing gutters. If debris is on the ground it’s also in the gutters. Cleaning may be necessary even two or three times a week when the trees are dropping seeds and leaves in the spring and fall. Do you think you need to replace your home’s guttter? Check out this article on 5 questions to ask if so.
We can help you say goodbye to this dangerous chore of cleaning your gutters.
Our affordable gutter protection system is proven and guaranteed to end gutter cleaning forever. Never have to worry about the stress poorly functioning gutters and downspouts can cause. Our gutter guard is an attractive solution that solves gutter clogs. This gutter protection is virtually invisible and provides a trimmed appearance between the roof and the gutter. In addition, it works on any style roof including composition, wood shake, slate, concrete tile, stone coated steel and metal.